Weekly "Table Talk" story and questions by the author of the Art of Amazement. To subscribe to this blog via email, visit http://jsli.org .

Friday, September 12, 2008

Rosh Hashana...for the rest of us

You are encouraged to print this short table talk for sharing at your Friday night dinner table.

It’s that time of year again – Rosh Hashana – Yom Kippur.

How would you like to hear a rabbi tell you NOT to go to synagogue on Rosh Hashana?

Take a look at this picture:

Does this pretty much sum up what you have to look forward to? Same-old, same-old?

If so, then take it from me – don’t go to shul.

But before you blow off the entire day, let’s clear up one myth of Rosh Hashana.

The first myth is that Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year.

It is not the Jewish New Year.

In fact, there is nothing in the Torah that says such a thing. Nor in the Talmud or anywhere else in Judaism.

So what’s Rosh Hashana?

What Judaism says is that Rosh Hashana is the day when our karma is set for the coming 12 months.

What that means is: the thoughts I think, the feelings I feel, and the actions that I do on the day of Rosh Hashana will set the course for my entire year.

It’s like a rocket ship taking off – if the initial trajectory is off by a fraction of a degree, after a few days or weeks, it will be off by millions of miles.

Therefore, the key to an amazing, life-changing Rosh Hashana – regardless of whether you’re in synagogue or not - is to spend the day thinking, feeling and doing according to how you want your new year to be.

In the next couple weeks, I’ll suggest some ways to make that happen.

In the meantime, please do me one favor – watch this new 3-minute video I made on the subject, and if you like it, forward it to all your friends.